While the opening weekend for Elysium was considered a mild disappointment, Sony will fund another project from writer/director Neill Blomkamp, the long-discussed Chappie.

According to a studio press release, "Chappie tells the story of a robot imbued with artificial intelligence who is stolen by two local gangsters who want to use him for their own nefarious purposes." Blomkamp will direct the screenplay he wrote with his District 9 collaborator Terri Tatchell, and will produce along with Simon Kinberg, who's working on 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past and a standalone Star Wars film for Disney.

Blomkamp regular Sharlto Copley will voice the titular robot, and South African rap duo Die Antwoord are set to play the two gangsters.

"Neill has proven that he is a true original voice and we expect that Chappie will strike a chord with worldwide audiences in the same way that District 9 and Elysium have," Columbia Pictures President Doug Belgrad said in a statement. "We love the script he and Terri have written and we’re looking forward to working again with our friends at MRC."

Elysium debuted on Aug. 9, and its $29.8 million opening was enough for first place in the weekend box office.

(via Collider)